Naval Service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Naval Service
of the British Armed Forces
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|---|
| Components |
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Surface Fleet Fleet Air Arm Submarine Service Royal Naval Reserve Nursing Service (QARNNS) |
| Royal Marines Reserve |
| History and future |
| History of the Royal Navy History of the Royal Marines Customs and traditions Future of the Royal Navy |
| Ships |
| Current fleet Current deployments Historic ships |
| Personnel |
| The Admiralty Senior officers Uniforms Officer rank insignia Ratings rank insignia |
| Related civilian agencies of the Ministry of Defence |
| Royal Fleet Auxiliary Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service |
The Naval Service is the naval branch of the British Armed Forces, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board. According to the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy[1], it consists of:
- the Royal Navy (including Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service)
- the Royal Marines
- the Naval Reserve Forces:
- the Royal Naval Reserve (including Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve)
- the Royal Marines Reserve
- the Royal Fleet Reserve
- Naval Careers Service
Formerly the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors were also considered part of the Naval Service.
The term Naval Service should be distinguished from the "UK Naval Services", which consist of the Naval Service and the Merchant Navy.
The April 2005 regular strength of the Naval Service (i.e. Royal Navy and Royal Marines) was 36,320. The Naval Service is dominated by the Royal Navy, which accounts for over 80% of Naval Service personnel. The Naval Service as a whole comes under the command of the Navy Board, which is headed by the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.
Contents |
[edit] Royal Navy
Referred to as the "Senior Service" by virtue of it being the oldest service within the British Armed Forces, the Royal Navy had a strength of 34,900 in April 2006. The Navy has been structured around a single fleet since the abolition of the Eastern and Western fleets in 1971.[2] Command of deployable assets is exercised by the Commander-in-Chief Fleet, who also has authority over the Royal Marines, and the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary.[3] Personnel matters are the responsibility of the Second Sea Lord/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, an appointment usually held by a vice-admiral.[4]
The United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent is carried aboard the navy's Vanguard-class of four nuclear ballistic-missile submarines. The surface fleet consists of carriers, destroyers, frigates, amphibious assault ships, patrol ships, mine-countermeasures, and miscellaneous vessels. A submarine service has existed within the Royal Navy for over 100-years. The service possessed a combined fleet of diesel-electric and nuclear-powered submarines in the early 1990s. Following the Options for Change defence review, diesel-electric submarines were withdrawn and the "hunter-killer" fleet is now exclusively nuclear-powered.
[edit] Royal Marines
The infantry component of the Naval Service is the Corps of Royal Marines, which had a reported strength of approximately 7,400 in 2006.[5] Consisting of a single manoeuvre brigade (3 Commando) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise in amphibious, arctic, and mountain warfare. [6] Contained within 3 Commando Brigade are three attached army units; an infantry battalion (from April 2008), an artillery regiment, and an engineer regiment.[7] The Commando Logistic Regiment consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy.[8]
[edit] Former components of the Naval Service
The following services were formerly also components of the Naval Service:
- the Women's Royal Naval Service (merged into the Royal Navy in 1993)
- the Royal Naval Minewatching Service (reformed into the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service in 1962 and disbanded in 1994)
- the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service (incorporated within the Royal Navy in 2000)
Naval Reserve Forces:
- the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (merged with the Royal Naval Reserve in 1958)
- the Royal Naval Volunteer (Supplementary) Reserve
- the Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve
- the Royal Naval Volunteer (Postal) Reserve)
- the Royal Naval Emergency Reserve (disbanded c. 1959)
- the Royal Naval Special Reserve (disbanded c. 1960)
- the Women's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (renamed the Women's Royal Naval Reserve in 1958, merged into the Royal Naval Reserve in 1993)
- the Women's Royal Naval Supplementary Reserve
- the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve (incorporated within the Royal Naval Reserve in 2000)
[edit] Current ships and units of the Naval Service
- HMS Ark Royal (R07)
- HMS Illustrious (R06)
- HMS Invincible (R05)
- HMS Daring (D32)
- HMS Exeter (D89)
- HMS Southampton (D90)
- HMS Nottingham (D91)
- HMS Liverpool (D92)
- HMS Manchester (D95)
- HMS Gloucester (D96)
- HMS Edinburgh (D97)
- HMS York (D98)
- HMS Argyll (F231)
- HMS Lancaster (F229)
- HMS Iron Duke (F234)
- HMS Monmouth (F235)
- HMS Montrose (F236)
- HMS Westminster (F237)
- HMS Northumberland (F238)
- HMS Richmond (F239)
- HMS Somerset (F82)
- HMS Sutherland (F81)
- HMS Kent (F78)
- HMS Portland (F79)
- HMS St Albans (F83)
- HMS Cornwall (F99)
- HMS Cumberland (F85)
- HMS Campbeltown (F86)
- HMS Chatham (F87)
- HMS Ocean (L12)
- HMS Albion (L14)
- HMS Bulwark (L15)
- HMS Walney (M104)
- HMS Penzance (M106)
- HMS Pembroke (M107)
- HMS Grimsby (M108)
- HMS Bangor (M109)
- HMS Ramsey (M110)
- HMS Blyth (M111)
- HMS Shoreham (M112)
- HMS Ledbury (M30)
- HMS Cattistock (M31)
- HMS Brocklesby (M33)
- HMS Middleton (M34)
- HMS Chiddingfold (M37)
- HMS Atherstone (M38)
- HMS Hurworth (M39)
- HMS Quorn (M41)
- HMS Endurance (A171)
- HMS Mersey (P283)
- HMS Severn (P282)
- HMS Tyne (P281)
- HMS Clyde (P257)
- HMS Archer (P264)
- HMS Biter (P270)
- HMS Smiter (P272)
- HMS Blazer (P279)
- HMS Puncher (P291)
- HMS Charger (P292)
- HMS Ranger (P293)
- HMS Trumpeter (P294)
- HMS Express (P163)
- HMS Example (P165)
- HMS Explorer (P164)
- HMS Exploit (P167)
- HMS Tracker (P274)
- HMS Raider (P275)
- HMS Scimitar (P284)
- HMS Sabre (P285)
- HMS Pursuer (P273)
- HMS Dasher (P280)
- HMS Scott (H131)
- HMS Roebuck (H130)
- HMSML Gleaner (H86)
- HMS Echo (H87)
- HMS Enterprise (H88)
- HMS Vanguard (S28)
- HMS Victorious (S29)
- HMS Vigilant (S30)
- HMS Vengeance (S31)
- HMS Trafalgar (S107)
- HMS Turbulent (S87)
- HMS Tireless (S88)
- HMS Torbay (S90)
- HMS Trenchant (S91)
- HMS Talent (S92)
- HMS Triumph (S93)
- HMS Sceptre (S104)
- HMS Bristol (D23)
- HMS Caroline
- HMS Victory
- Wave Knight
- Wave Ruler
- Gold Rover
- Black Rover
- Bayleaf
- Orangeleaf
- Fort Rosalie
- Fort Austin
- Fort Victoria
- Fort George
- Argus
- Diligence
- Largs Bay
- Lyme Bay
- Mounts Bay
- Cardigan Bay
- Sea Crusader
- Sea Centurion
- MV Hurst Point
- MV Eddystone
- MV Longstone
- MV Beachy Head
- MV Hartland Point
- MV Anvil Point
- RMAS Newton (A367)
- RMAS Colonel Templer (A229)
- RMAS Kinterbury (A378)
- RMAS Salmoor (A185)
- RMAS Salmaid (A187)
- RMAS Moorhen (Y32)
- RMAS Moorfowl (Y33)
- RMAS Cameron (A72)
- RMAS Tornado (A140)
- RMAS Tormentor (A142)
- RMAS Torrent (A127)
- RMAS Impulse (A344)
- RMAS Impetus (A335)
- RMAS Adept (A224)
- RMAS Bustler (A225)
- RMAS Capable (A226)
- RMAS Careful (A227)
- RMAS Forceful (A221)
- RMAS Nimble (A222)
- RMAS Powerful (A223)
- RMAS Faithful (A228)
- RMAS Dexterous (A231)
- RMAS Warden (A368)
- RMAS Adamant (A232)
Note: does not include landing craft or other carried vessels
- Shore Establishments
- RNAS Culdrose
- RNAS Yeovilton
- RNAS Predannack
- RNAS Merryfield
- DM Beith
- RNAD Coulport
- HMNB Devonport
- HMNB Portsmouth
- HMNB Clyde
- (HMS Vulcan)
- HMS Collingwood
- Britannia Royal Naval College
- Whale Island
- HMS Raleigh
- HMS Sultan
- HMS Temeraire
- HMS Caledonia,
- HMS Saker
- HMS Agrippa
- JSU Northwood, ex-HMS Warrior
- HMS Calliope
- HMS Cambria
- Tawe Division
- HMS Caroline
- HMS Dalriada
- Govan Division
- HMS Eaglet
- Menai Division
- HMS Forward
- HMS Flying Fox
- HMS Ferret
- HMS Excellent
- HMS President
- HMS Scotia
- Tay Division
- HMS Sherwood
- Ceres Division
- HMS Vivid
- HMS Wildfire
- Mount Pleasant Airfield
- Norton Manor Barracks
- Bickleigh Barracks
- RM Condor
- Commando Logistic Regiment
- Stonehouse Barracks
- RMB Poole
- Lympstone
[edit] Notes
- ^ Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy (Nov. 2007), Ch. 1
- ^ Hampshire (1975), The Royal Navy Since 1945: its transition to the nuclear age, p248
- ^ Fleet Command and Organisation, armedforces.co.uk
- ^ https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/static/content/209.html
- ^ Strength of UK Regular Forces by Service and whether trained or untrained at 1 April each year, dasa.mod.uk
- ^ BBC News (2002), UK's mountain warfare elite, news.bbc.co.uk
- ^ The Commando Role for 1 RIFLER, army.mod.uk
- ^ Commando Logistic Regiment, royalnavy.mod.uk
[edit] References
- BR 2 - Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy
- BR1806 - British Maritime Doctrine, Glossary
- United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2005 - glossary

